


As I Walk Through the Valley

by markpenmanship



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Love Triangle, Sass, Swearing, and my love letter to stardew valley, cursing, friendships, gratuitous self insert, maybe smut later, the friend zone, this is my hate letter to the city, will add more tags later as shit comes up
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-07
Updated: 2019-01-07
Packaged: 2019-10-06 00:08:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17334962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/markpenmanship/pseuds/markpenmanship
Summary: Nora, a girl who's ambition never went past tomorrow, finally opens a letter from her deceased grandfather.What transpires is her learning how to communicate again, and open up to a world that just wishes to see her succeed.





	1. Chapter 1

The sweaty atmosphere inside the train made Nora’s turquoise hair stick to her forehead under her toque. The dark early morning of winter in Zuzu City made her hour long commute into work just that much worse. The hot stale air blasted into the train, and she could feel the slush she picked up on her walk to the station melt and seep through the seams of her boots.  She wiggled her toes, loathe to move her feet too much while being forced to stand. Packed like sardines, the hundred familiar strangers on the train looked onto their Joja phones. Nora turned her music up a little louder.

 

Standing wasn’t too bad. She wasn’t too keen on sitting since she knew she had full day of being trapped in her cubicle. The hour long commute was a great opportunity to catch up on some of her favourite radio shows and the news. This particular morning she was scrolling through her JojaSound curated playlist. The beats of a mellow indie band could have drifted her to sleep as the train hurtled through the heavy wet flakes snowing down, covering the brutalist architecture of the city.

 

She did not fall asleep though, and as expected, she filed off the train with the wave of people commuting from the suburbs. She walked her usual route to the Joja building, but elected to stop for a coffee on the way in to make sure her caffeination was sufficient for the day.

 

“I’ll be late,” Her dialogue in her head played out, “I’ll be late and I’ll get in trouble, and I’ll get fired.”

 

Another dialogue played out in head at the same time, however, this one much louder, and much more urgent.

 

“FUCK IT, FUCK IT, FUCK IT. EAT MY ASS JOJA, I NEED COFFEE NOW.”

 

Not one to stifle her impulses, Nora elected to stop at JojaBean on her way into the building. Eventually she found her way up to her floor, punched in five minutes late, and sat down at her cubicle. She took off her heavy winter jacket and hung it on the corner. With her toque off, she pulled her flashy hair into a simple bun, and tousled her bangs to air dry them a bit.

 

The content on her computer in her mailbox was same-old same-old. A hundred emails filled with complaints. She got to work, plugging in her head set, and started pumping out her generic responses.

 

We are sorry to hear that you are unsatisfied with your service. Here at Joja we aim to give you the best experience possible. Inane drivel designed to sate anyone who dared stand up to the mega corporation.

 

She noticed an email. From a “Sebastiandev@joja.com”  with the subject line titled “Pelican Town Drilling Operation.” Nora thought for a second. She knew that name, Pelican Town. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it yet. She opened the mail.

 

“To Whomever it may concern,

 

We the citizens of Pelican Town are very concerned with the state of our local lake after the landslide which is surely the result of your drilling operation. I am not one to raise my voice but as Mayor of this town, I believe it is my duty to make our voices heard. This town may be small beans to you, but our local environmentalists are very concerned with the long term ecological effects of what has happened. I have reached out via mail, but as time has gone on, I have not heard back from anyone yet. I am hoping this mail will reach someone who can speed this clean up operation so that we the citizens can have our lake and mines back.

 

Thank you,

 

Mayor Lewis of Pelican Town.”

 

Nora looked at those words again. Pelican Town. Taking a second, she opened up Joja’s search engine and typed in the town name. Of course. It was a small town located in Stardew Valley, where her late grandfather’s home was. She only went to go see him a couple of times when she was younger with her dad, but she could still remember the lightning bugs and frogs on those warm summer nights. She remembered her grandfather, lying on his deathbed in hospice almost ten years ago. She was barely a teenager, and his words were cryptic enough to deter her from opening that letter that still remained sealed. She kept it with her in her bag, though, just in case the mood to open it ever struck her. It almost made more sense to keep it closed, and hold on to whatever remained of her extended family.

 

She looked up from her cubicle, peering overhead. The windows were on the other side of the work floor, and she couldn’t see if it was still snowing. She wondered if it was snowing in pelican town. No wonder the clean up was taking forever. The city always halted it’s maintenance in the winter. It was hard to find anyone who wanted to do manual labour in the cold. She began typing a response to Mayor Lewis. She wondered who’s computer he used to send the email. She took a moment to forward his complaint to a higher up, as well, in hopes that something could actually be done about a complaint for once. She sipped her coffee.

 

A few hours of work droned by. The monotony caused her mind to drift to Pelican Town. Suddenly, a sound at the entrance of her cubicle caused her to perk up. She didn’t know how long she had been sitting there, daydreaming. She also didn’t know how long her manager stood there watching her daydream.

 

“Nora, I was looking at the punch in times and noticed you have been late over half the time within the last month. I need you to step it up, and get here on time. I would also prefer it if you could do what we pay you for instead of zoning out and daydreaming. If I have to ask you again, it could result in your termination.”

 

Nora looked at her. Her heart sank. “Sorry, ma’am. It won’t happen again.” The anxiety of the morning caught up in her, and she cursed herself for listening to the impulse in her brain yet again instead of making the choice to do something right for her career. Joja could take care of her. If she could hold on she could make enough to move closer to the city center, and actually maybe find someone successful who wanted to date her. She could then have a couple kids and live off that sweet sweet child subsidy dollar the government was so keen of dishing out to whoever popped out a couple kids to throw at the war. The thought depressed her, but she didn’t particularly feel like she had any other options. Truly, the only thing she had going for her was that she liked doing work and being useful. The current status of her boring job was wearing thin, however.

 

She took her lunch break, sitting down to eat the cafeteria’s special that day. A reheated frozen pizza, some reheated spring rolls and a joja cola; exactly what she wanted. She sat down and thought to herself. Was today the day she was finally going to open that envelope from her grandfather? She reached inside her bag, and pulled out the envelope. It was crumpled on the corners and had some stains from age and various spills over the years. Tentatively, she tore the corner of the envelope. Nora stopped to look around for a moment. No one had noticed, and she wasn’t sure why she thought someone would have noticed. She finished the tear and pulled out the letter.

 

“Dear Nora,” It started. She winced. She could hear his voice so clearly in her head. The smell of the paper mixed with a smoky scent. She remembered the fire always crackling next to him as he passed. Maybe it had some of his cologne? Her dad still had a bottle of his signature scent in his medicine cabinet in her childhood home.

 

“If you’re reading this, you must be in dire need for a change.” She continued to read, “The same thing happened to me, long ago. I’d lost sight of what mattered most in life… real connections with other people and nature. So I dropped everything and moved to the place I truly belong.”

 

She thought of the farm. The rows and rows of grapes and the chickens that roamed free when he lived there. The nostalgia gripped her heart. She couldn’t remember the last time she had a real genuine connection with anything. She flipped to the next page of the letter.

 

“I’ve enclosed the deed to that place… my pride and joy: Whisky Farm. It’s located in Stardew Valley, on the southern coast. It’s the perfect place to start your new life. This was my most precious gift of all, and now it’s yours. I know you’ll honour the family name, my girl. Good luck. Love, Grandpa.” Her hands were practically shaking as she read the last side. She looked back in the envelope. Sure enough, a sturdy fibre paper deed sat folded in the envelope. She couldn’t believe she had missed that.

 

The implications of this letter were insane. She had a huge piece of property a couple hours away from Zuzu City. She had a house. She didn’t have to rent anymore. She could just pack up and leave, and uproot every single shallow plan she ever made. It didn’t matter anymore. Even if she couldn’t hack it in the country, she could always sell the property and live comfortably in Zuzu City for a couple years until she figured out her next move.

 

Not one to stifle her impulses, Nora pulled out her phone and called her dad. After a few rings, he picked up.

 

“Hey, kiddo, what’s up?” he said on the other side.

 

“Dad, you never told me I have a house.” She said.

 

“Oh do you now?” He said, distracted.

 

“How do you not know about something like this?” Nora accused.

 

“I knew he wanted you to have it, but honestly kiddo, he kept his will under lock and key. He had his friend read and officiate it, I think his name was Lewis?” He said. She could hear him work in the background. “I was too busy with your shenanigans to do much else about the circumstances of his passing. Just set up our small memorial service for him here in the city while he was buried on his land. I always figured he would pass it down when the time was right. He had a habit of making things like that work out.”

 

“Well, maybe this was his doing.” She said, shivering about the thought of his ghost peering over her shoulder.

 

“So what’s the plan, Norbor?” He asked, using her childhood nickname.

 

“I think I’m going to quit my job and go for it, Dad.” She said.

 

“Well, you always were a reckless kid. I say go for it. It’s honestly better than whatever you’re doing here.” He said.

 

“Well thanks for your stamp of approval, Dad. You aren’t going to try to talk me down at all?”

 

“Nah. Can I go back to work now?”

 

“Yeah I guess. Love you.” She said, and he hung up. That was pretty par for the course with her dad. He seemed to like doing his own thing a lot.

 

Downing the rest of her Joja Cola, she stood, and marched up to her manager’s office.

 

“Excuse me, Ma’am?”


	2. Meet Cute and Meet Not-so-Cute

Spring was coming to a close and Nora finally felt like she had her farming under control. She had to admit, the first twenty-two days of her new life were hellish. Her small cabin was seriously lacking amenities, the adjustment of using an outhouse late at night, and her new habit of cooking anything she caught or foraged wrapped in tin foil next to her fire was successful, if not boring taste-wise. Learning she had no service, was entirely reliant on the mail system, and her only contact to the outside world was a t.v. antenna that got her three local channels on a good day was challenging at best. 

 

Nora could not tell how she felt about it. She had come to this town, met everyone, fought hard for her own survival and turned the 500 gold in her pocket she arrived with through hard work and perseverance into 1200 gold. Score. It truly wasn’t much, but on this evening she had enough to spend some hard earned cash on a beer and spaghetti at the saloon on that rainy Monday. She couldn’t believe how good some home-cooked carbs and a little alcohol could be. She felt proud of overcoming her learning curve, and her active daily schedule was rewarding. She could see her little farm coming together which was incredibly rewarding.

 

Working the fields and focusing on herself, however, made her felt more isolated than ever. She supposed that the reason for that feeling was the true isolation of her farm. The ten to fifteen minute jaunt wasn't terrible, but it definitely discouraged her from heading into town too much. She was so accustomed to the transit system of Zuzu City. Sure, she came into town for seeds and the odd toiletry, but she didn’t really talk to anyone besides Pierre, and Lewis in passing. Her heart sank, she was really hoping to make some real connections out here. She sure felt in tuned with nature, but with the people? She felt like an outcast. 

 

She wasn’t helping her situation, really. Even on that rainy afternoon, she kept her interaction with Gus and Emily short yet sweet, and took the remainder of her beer over to the couches next to the billiard table. The spring rain bounced off the tin roof of the saloon, giving the old building a sleepy feel. Summer was just around the corner, the flower dance was coming up, and she didn’t know what she was going to do that day. Maybe she would just skip it. 

 

Nora was so very lonely and so lost in her thoughts that it took her a moment to realize her eyes were welling up with tears. The stress of survival, the lack of shower, and her slight inebriation caught up to her. She could run around her farm all she wanted, but at this moment, she could not outrun her feelings. 

 

The door to the saloon jingled as it swung open, the crisp air filtering in. The blonde boy with the skateboard and spiky hair walked in. His hair wasn’t spiked at the moment. It was slicked back with rain, but he shook it out, spraying water everywhere. He called out a greeting to Gus and Emily, and Nora’s heart dropped as she realized he walked towards her. Desperate to remain closed off for the next moment, she turned away, from him, and with a sniffle, wiped her tears with the sleeve of her flannel. 

 

He stopped at the Joja Cola machine, and dropped in some coins. The can fell, and he cracked it open. 

 

“Hey, you’re that farm girl, right?” He asked her. She wracked her brain for his name for a second. Was it Sam? Again, she wiped her eyes with her sleeve. 

 

“Uh, yeah.” Her voice was hoarse. 

 

“Woah, are you okay?” He asked, shocked to see her crying. Not great for a second impression. 

 

“I just,” She started, “I guess I’m just home sick?” she laughed out through her tears. “I don’t really know. It’s not like I knew anyone back in Zuzu City.” 

 

Sam tentatively walked over to her, taking a seat in the plush couch a healthy distance away. He drummed his fingers on his thighs for a second, took a swig of his Joja Cola, and set it down on the coffee table next to her beer. 

 

“Well,” He started and then swung his hand up onto his breastbone, “I’m Sam, in case you forgot.” 

 

Nora snorted and gave a little wave. “I’m Nora.” 

 

“Right, Nora.” He reminded himself, “If you ever want to meet the crew, Sebastian, Abigail and I often play Billiards here on Friday nights. We’re all going to the flower festival, too. You should come!” 

 

“I guess I’m not really doing anything else that day.” She said. She could feel her dark eyes puff up from the tears. 

 

“Can you help me with something, by the way?” He asked. His smile was like sunshine cutting through her cloudy day. 

 

“I can try.” 

 

“I’m trying to write a new song, but I want it to actually have a concept, you know?” He leaned back into the plush couch. 

 

“Why not have it be about a little town by the ocean?” She said, thinking back to her optimism of her first day in Pelican Town. Sam chuckled.

 

“Write what you know, I guess, right?” 

 

“It’s either that or trains. That’s all I can think about.” Nora shrugged.

 

“Really, trains? Why trains?” He asked.

 

“Some of my favourite blues albums are about trains.” Nora explained. 

 

“I’m more of an indie pop-punk artist you know? I think you first topic is more suited to me. You know, I gotta get out of this town with my best friends and my pizza” He over enunciated sarcastically in that pop-punk style of singing. Nora finally cracked a genuine smile and laughed. She wiped the remainder of her tears and Sam joined her in laughter. “There’s that smile. I knew it was in there somewhere. Anyways, I have important places to be. It was nice actually meeting you. Norman, was it?” 

 

“It’s Nora.” 

 

“Nelly?” 

 

“It’s Nora!” She laughed again. He got up and started walking towards the door. He turned towards her, walking backwards to face her one more time. 

 

“Sorry, I’m just so terrible with names, Nancy.” 

 

“Bye, Spencer! I’ll see you at the flower dance.” She finished off the rest of her beer. She really didn’t have much else to do that day since the rain handled the majority of her chores for her. 

 

She returned to the bar to drop her pint glass off with Gus, before bumping into that rude grump she briefly tried talking to before. 

 

“Sorry,” She apologized. He grunted and moved around her to sit at the bar, and pulled out his wallet. A little more bold from her conversation with the sunny boy and the beer, she turned to him again and said “You know, you could actually say something back. Would it kill you to be a bit friendlier?” 

 

Gus and Emily looked at each other with a puzzled expression, but Nora didn’t care. 

“I’m sorry, do I know you?” He asked, pointedly, with venom in his tone. 

 

“I guess not, you would have to pull your head out of your ass for two seconds in order to know what goes on around you.” Admittedly though, she didn’t really know of him either. Her knowledge of him was very in passing. He was her neighbour, but she only really knew him as Marnie’s drunken asshole of a nephew. 

 

“Leave me alone.” He said. 

 

“Hey, Gus, his first one is on me.” Nora pulled out some more cash, and stuffed it in Gus’s hand. Her gift was given in spite with the hope of instilling some guilt into him. She was nothing if not petty. 

 

“Uh, sure.” Gus took the money and poured out a glass for the man with the sour attitude. 

 

“Have a great day!” She said, just as much venom dripping from her voice, before walking out into the rain towards home. 

 

If she had looked back she might have seen the look of amusement on Shane’s face, and if she had paused she might have actually heard the first laugh to come out of his mouth in he didn’t really know how long. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, second chapter is already out. 
> 
> Nora is a bit of a spazz, but she means well. Mostly. Unless you're an asshole. Then her meaning well has a bit of a negative edge to it. 
> 
> Also don't expect daily uploads lol. My work is hella slow in the evenings which is perfect for writing but I doubt that this is going to be consistent.

**Author's Note:**

> Welp, this is happening. 
> 
> As a Canadian, I refuse to give up my culture for a more accessible audience. Toques are not called beanies. There. I said it. 
> 
> Anyways, I'm garbage at proof-reading. Like they say in Zuzu City, if you see something, say something. 
> 
> I promise my dialogue will get better <3


End file.
